Westerham Darenth Womens Institute
The Westerham Darenth Womens Institute holds meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7.45pm in Westerham Hall. In addition we hold social meetings on the first Wednesday of each month, 2pm December - February and 7.45pm for the rest of the year, also in Westerham Hall. We have a varied programme of talks, outings, social evenings and suppers, all for an annual fee of £32. We are welcoming new members: please feel free to come along to one of our meetings! For more information see the What's or contact Hazel Cook T: 01959 562886Westerham Inner Wheel Club
We were very lucky to be able to use the front room at Westerham Hall for our fantastic Christmas lunch which was cooked by Olive, one of our members; and for New Year’s Eve we joined with some Rotarians and enjoyed The Stragglers party. Again it was a joint effort when we assisted the Rotarians at Clackett’s Lane Service Station for carol singing. We continue to support Sue Ryder with volunteering and hope to pass the 100 hours mark this year.Bonneval Association
The next Bonneval Association exchange visit will be held on Thursday 12th April to Sunday 15th April. It is the turn of the French to come to Westerham and we are working on a packed programme to entertain our guests whilst in the UK. This will include a day out to Chatham Dockyard and a Gala Dinner at Parkwood Golf Club. Any offers to host visitors are welcome. For further details contact Chairman Pamela Williamson 01959 572094Westerham Theatre Club
Barry Reid, Marril Gibson and Jane Hunter started Theatre Club at the end of 2011. They have now been joined by Cecily Stiles and JoAnn Sheekey and have booked the first 2 outings. There will be a £5 subscription per annum to receive alerts of outings and to enjoy group prices. The first is Noises Off seniors only matinee 2.30pm on 29th February (they said they'd turn a blind eye to the odd junior!) The second is Crazy For You at 7.30pm on 23rd May click here for more on this performanceWesterham Chess Club
Westerham Junior Chess members seek awards This term members of Westerham Junior Chess Club will be completing their bronze and silver English Chess Federation (ECF) Awards. They will be coached by Club Chairman Robin Thompson, an ECF Accredited Chess Coach. Mr Thompson aims to give a proper grounding in the nuts and bolts of chess and the club feels very fortunate to be able to take advantage of his expertise. Meetings are on Friday evenings,January 20 February 3, February 24, March 2, March 16, March 30, April 20, May 4 and May 18 at the Council Chamber, Russell House, Westerham at 6.15pm. New members are welcome and can attend the first session free of charge. Anyone interested in joining should email westerhamchess@btinternet.com or telephone 01959 564520Quebec House
2011 was the first year the house has stayed open weekends in November and December. These extra opening hours have paid off, visitor numbers are great with over 1200 people seeing the different special events that have ranged from a traditional Georgian Christmas celebration to conservation talks and seeing the house lit by open fires and candles.
22,000 visitors to Quebec House in a single season, now that’s something to shout about. It’s important, not only because more visitors learn about General Wolfe and enjoy the house, but every time a National Trust member visit we get to invest more money on conservation of the house and collection, ensuring Quebec House is open for generations to come
Westerham Society
Latest Newsletter. 2012 programme.
January visit: The Westerham Society has organised a private visit to the site of the 2012 Olympics in London. This guided tour will take place on Saturday 28th January at 11.30am. The visit will take in the Olympics stadium, the aquatic centre, the basketball arena, the BMX circuit, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the velodrome and many other sporting arenas as well as the athletes’ village and the international broadcasting and main press centre. The visit costs £10 and is open to paid-up members of the Westerham Society. If there are spaces available, the visit may be opened up to members' guests. A newsletter and booking form will be sent in early January.For details about the Westerham Society, please contact Jacs Taylor-Smith on 01959 561265 or djtaylorsmith@aol.com
Biggin Hill and Westerham Lions Club
Incorporating Charity Trust Fund No: 294654 Biggin Hill & Westerham Lions Club Charity Trust Fund has been selected as one of the 3 charities to benefit from the Community Matters (green token) scheme in Waitrose, Biggin Hilll in January - please support us with your tokens.QUIZ NIGHT
Another excellent Quiz Night is to be held on Saturday 3rd March, at 7.30 at St Theresa's Church Hall, Haig Road, Biggin Hill. Tickets are £10 each including a fish and chip supper and can be reserved by phoning Malcolm Lowing on 01959 576628 Bookings for teams of 6 are preferred. By popular demand Paul Bailey-Smith is returning as quiz master.
Biggin Hill & Westerham Lions Club) presented a cheque for £400 to Kent Air Ambulance in December. Lion President John Scott and Fundraising Chairman Malcolm Lowing visited the Kent Air Ambulance base in Marden to present the cheque to Doctor Neal Durge and Paramedic / Clinical Manager Gary Wareham. In fact there was only just time to present the cheque before the team were called off on a 'shout'. The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance needs approximately £5 million a year to keep the life saving helicopters in our skys. Receiving no funding from the National Lottery the charity relies almost entirely upon the generosity of the public to support the two helicopters, based at Marden and Dunsfold. The £400 was the result of a recent bucket shake by the Lions in Tesco Extra Orpington. Fundraising Chairman Malcolm Lowing said 'we are very grateful to Tesco for allowing us to collect in the store and to Tesco shoppers for their generosity. For more information about how you can help the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance please visit kssairambulance.org.uk or call 01622833833
Westerham Junior Sea Cadets Win West Kent District 5-a-side Tournament
In January some of the cadets will start training to take part in
the Thames River Pageant for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee; they will be
taking to the river on the 8th January, lets hope it is much warmer in
June!. Also they will be entering the shooting competition on the 22nd
January. TS Gallant will also be paying its respects to those who lost
their lives on HMS Gallant with a memorial service at Chatham Dockyard
on Sunday 15th January. Who says life for a 10 -18 year old is boring!
All this as well as our normal 2 nights at the unit and band on a
Friday. Interested? Come and join in and have some serious fun.
December was a busy month for Westerham Sea Cadets, firstly taking
part in the switching on of the lights at the end of November , the
band and the whole unit were in attendance. The Juniors (10 -12) won
the District 5-a- side football, the senior girls (15-17) came second
and district 5 a side and will go through to area to represent the
West Kent District along with Cadets from Royal Tunbridge Wells, the
boys (12-15) came 3rd, there are nine teams throughout the district so
we are extremely proud of them.
Westerham Sea Cadets (12 – 18 year olds) parade on Tuesday and Thursday nights 19.00 – 21.00, And Junior Sea Cadets (10 – 12 year olds) on Thursday 19.00 – 21.00 at The Drill Hall, High Street, Westerham. If you are interested in joining us and having some serious fun, come along - or contact LT SCC (RNR) John Ingram 07967139926, PO SCC Jan Dean-Roberts 07534455903 or visit us on http://www.sea-cadets.org/westerham/home.
Westerham Amateur Dramatics Society
Mrs Brown's Diamond Jubilee Old Time Music Hallsee http//www.wads-web.net/next-production for 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th May production dates.
WADS Youth is delighted to announce that they have been invited to take part in several key events at The National Trust property, Quebec House, Westerham, during the summer of 2012. This will be an exciting opportunity to develop pieces through workshops and research. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact: Tom Stiles at wadsyouthgroup@btinternet.com wadsyouthgroup@btinternet.com
The WADS Christmas production was a joy. Congratulations to all the
cast and indeed to all those who were involved.
Chartwell Branch TCC (UK)
We start the year with a meeting at Chartwell on 23rd February with
a talk by Allen Packwood, Executive Director of The Churchill Centre
UK and the Churchill Archives. In April we will hold our AGM and ‘KBO”
Churchill Quiz, this will be at The Grasshopper on The Green in
Westerham. We also plan to organise a trip to the Churchill archives
in Cambridge, date and time to follow.
Click picture for the latest
newsletter.
To join please contact our Chairman, Nigel Guest: chartwelltccuk@virginmedia.com.
St John the Baptist Catholic Church
Hosey Hill, Westerham TN16 1TB
Explore the faith and live with us the Catholic life. Our welcome is warm and our commitment joyful. Find out more, visit our website! (www.westerhamcatholic.com).
Westerham Scout Group
Westerham Scout Group has been a part of town life for well over a century and as Group Scout Leader Andy Mckay explains, they have no intention of leaving.
The group currently comprises of two Beaver Colonies, one Cub Pack and one Scout Troop giving a membership of approximately 100 boys and girls. The group is lucky enough to have its own headquarters, a minibus, kit bus and some of the latest camping equipment; however this comes at a price. Normal fundraising events are common place within the group and we can be seen every Sunday afternoon on Hosey Common making teas and providing delicious home made cakes to the public. However, with increasing insurance and fuel costs, keeping two vehicles on the road requires a great deal of money and something extra special.
Scouts are also busy planning their Spring Camp to Cambridge. Scout Leader: Quintus Murphy is a keen Fencer [the sword type!] and Scouts have been enjoying a game of this. Preparations are under way for the Annual Christmas mince pie evening - this a fun evening when all group parents are invited to enjoy an evening of 'live entertainment' performed by Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, mince pies and mulled wine. No date fixed yet but usually just before Christmas.
If anyone is interested in finding out more, please contact Group Leader Andy McKay on 01959 562372.
What is Domesday Reloaded?
In 1986 the BBC launched an ambitious project to record a snapshot of everyday life across the UK for future generations. A million volunteers took part… now the BBC is inviting new submissions, a quarter of a century on. 25 years later you can explore the archive online, see the pictures, and enjoy the writings of Westerham in 1986.The Westerham Parish Council is collecting material to update this snapshot for 2011 and make Westerham's mark on this fascinating record for our collective history. Check out our 1986 entry at www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday
Winnies Pre School, Christmas
We decorated a Christmas tree at St Mary’s Church in Westerham with the children. Photo of Mary & Joseph as we practiced for our Nativity play
Westerham Rotary Update January 2012
Rotary meets for an evening meal at The King's Arms in Westerham on the 1st, 3rd and 5th (if there is one) Tuesdays. The alternate Tuesdays are taken up with companionship over a pint and to cover a little "business". More often than not we invite a guest speaker to join us at dinner and we have had some very entertaining evenings covering a wide variety of subjects. On 31st January Nigel Press is joining us to speak about Rowing the Zambezi in aid of Village Water.In February some of our members are planning to motor across to the Rotary Club of Yvetot in Normandy to take part in their annual Dictet. This is a competition where English text is dictated to selected pupils from some of the local schools. Rotarians correct the spelling and sense etc. and the youngsters are also required to read English aloud to us. The winners are presented with prizes. This has been going on for many years and is highly enjoyable for us as we are invariably entertained royally afterwards. Yvetot club is our "twin" and we have had many exchange visits making good friends in the process. We attended their Fiftieth Anniversary (very lavish) party and they came to ours only last year.
We are always seeking new members. For anyone who would like to come along to one of our meetings they would be very welcome - a dinner one would be a good place to start - just contact John on 01959 577645 or Terry on 577749.
Players Wanted at Westerham Juniors Football Club
The start of a new football season is
always exciting. But this season is particularly exciting for Westerham
Junior Football Club.
Our aim at WJFC is to try and improve on the success of last year. Westerham JFC was the proud recipient of the Tandridge Youth Football League Sportsmanship Award in addition to six individual team awards whilst all teams finished in respectable positions in their leagues during 2010/11. This success started when winning our first team Sportsmanship Award in 2005/06, which increased to three awards in the following season. In June 2007 we scooped four more awards, adding another one in each of 2008 and 2009 to total an unprecedented sixteen in just six seasons.
This comes at a time when many young people are severely criticised for poor behaviour, and when schools are criticised for not having sufficient discipline, the critics ought to look carefully at what is actually on offer in our area, through football, and recognise that a great deal has been done and is being done to make life the better for our young people and our communities.
Westerham Junior Football Club has an ongoing commitment to provide a safe and enjoyable learning environment for young children and youths (from 5 to 18) to participate in association football. The Club is committed to ensuring that the player is central to all developmental needs and aspirations, to providing quality experiences for all players and we are committed to follow FA guidelines about Safeguarding Children best practice. The Club’s policy is based upon equity, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities through implementing a democratic, fair and effective Club Constitution and Procedures as well as endorsing a Code of Conduct for Coaches/Managers, Players, Officials, Parents and Spectators.
Through the commitment and passion of local volunteers WJFC has unified the Westerham and district community and grown the playing membership from 40 to over 250 and the Club has been successful in forging links with local schools and other community groups.
Please contact Paul Carter on 07770 801584 and westerhamjuniorfc@btinternet.com.
Westerham
Fine Arts Society, January/February 2012
Our first meeting on 4th January was extremely well attended and a wonderful start to our new Season. Jill Brownbill, an extremely popular lecturer with our members, returned to give a very well researched and informative talk on “David Hockney_ the Modern Traditionalist” – this was a very prescient choice of artist, since his latest Exhibition “The Bigger Picture” opens at the Royal Academy in late January! She explained that he “didn’t just paint swimming pools”!! Her talk covered his fascination with the camera – from Polaroid to 35mm images to create quite controversial “joined-up” large images, to the recent work he is doing in his home county of Yorkshire with “multi-canvas” landscape paintings which are huge, simply stunning and painted in the open air. Hockney’s recent passion is painting with his iPad.
Our meeting on 1st February will be preceded by our A.G.M at 7.15p.m. Our speaker is Lyndall Hacker who will be giving her presentation “Silent Signs and Symbols”. This covers many of the “messages” contained within church architecture and is fascinating. Lyndall is a guide at both Rochester Cathedral and Lambeth Palace, which our Society is visiting in May this year.
It’s not too late to join WFAS for this season! Only £30/£50 per couple for eleven talks! We meet at the well equipped Westerham Hall, usually on the first Wednesday of the month (except August) – the Bar opens at 7.30 the talk begins at 8p.m. Or - come along for a “taster” just £4 on the door. To join Westerham Fine Arts Society please email our Secretary on worralls@hotmail.com Our very reasonable subscription of £30 per head/ £50 per couple is for eleven lectures. Outings and Tours are at an extra charge. Visitors are made most welcome paying £4 on the door.NSPCC, October 2011
On 10th October Westerham & Crockham Hill NSPCC were delighted to welcome Susanna Reid, presenter of BBC Breakfast and Sunday Morning Live, as our guest speaker at a luncheon in Westerham Hall. Her talk was entitled 'The Perils of Presenting at the BBC' and entertained us with the story of how her on-screen career began by being thrust into the hot seat with no warning when a regular presenter failed to show up. We thoroughly enjoyed Susanna's many anecdotes, some hilarious, some poignant but all demonstrating how challenging and adrenaline-fuelled the job is; I am sure all of us will now view TV presenters with a new respect! The talk was followed by a lively question and answer session, which would have lasted all afternoon had the delicious lunch of lamb tagine not been in danger of spoiling. We are enormously grateful that Susanna so freely gave of her time in support of the NSPCC; our thanks also to everyone who attended and helped to raise £2000 to support much needed children's services in Kent.
We will be holding our next lunch on March 16th with a talk on the fascinating subject of Women's Suffrage by Ruth Davidson.
If you would like any further information about our events or on the work of the NSPCC please email the secretary on postboxnumber1@hotmail.com.
Westerham Horticultural Society and Westerham Beekeepers News
The Westerham Horticultural Society had two fantastic shows at Churchill School in 2011, establishing the WHS in the heart of this lovely community. Thank you for your involvement and support, with over 100 participants into the Autumn Show, we are excited about the coming year! On January 20th we are holding a coffee morning at the John Fryth Room in St. Mary’s Church, Westerham. Come along and meet other members, share gardening tips and find out about some exciting events we have coming up. It’s a great opportunity to renew your membership while enjoying a cuppa and some homemade cake! Family Membership - £5 per year Individual Membership - £3.50 per year You can also renew by email at westerhamhortsoc@yahoo.co.uk Here are some of the events we have coming up:• Coffee Morning Friday 20th January - John Fryth Room 11.00 am -1pm
• Lavender Talk by Downderry Nursery, Hadlow Wednesday 29th February 7.30 at Churchill School.
• Rotary Fair - Plant Sale on Westerham Green, Saturday 19th May. All donations of plants would be greatly appreciated. Please let us know if you might be able to provide plants and we will contact you nearer the time. • A coach trip to a historical garden, time and venue tbc
• Summer Show - Saturday 23rd June at Churchill School.
• Local vineyard visit- June/July tbc • Autumn Show – Saturday 15th September at Churchill School.
• WHS AGM – Thursday 18th October 8pm at the John Fryth Room. All levels of gardeners are welcome, whether you have an allotment, vegetable patch, window box or Kew Gardens!
If you would like any further information please contact J Saunders at 563466 or email us at westerhamhortsoc@yahoo.co.uk
For more information:
Westerham
Beekeepers' Association
Westerham Horticultural Society
dotgov Community Competition
Do you have an idea on how to make your local area a better place to live using technology? Do you want to win the chance for your idea to be turned into reality and win up to £3000 in prizes?
The Cabinet Office's DotGovLabs Innovation Hub is organising a competition to stimulate collaboration between public services, entrepreneurs and communities to develop innovative ways of using technology to improve their neighbourhoods…and we need your ideas!
Here are the two sub-challenges:
1. Help people help each other in your neighbourhood
2. Make it easier for you to report issues to your council
To submit your idea and for more information: Go to http://bit.ly/submityouridea
Westerham Festival Update
The Scarecrows and Soldiers weekend captured the imagination of the people of Westerham. Photographers recorded almost 100 scarecrows around the town. The task for the judges was difficult, with so much creativity and effort being put into making scarecrows of all types. Catherine Churchill spoke for all the judges when she said ‘I thoroughly enjoyed myself - it was wonderful to see how much effort everyone had made’.
Click here to read the festival report and see pictures from the weekend.
Westerham Art Group - September 2011 Update
The Westerham Art Group had a very successful 26th Annual Art Exhibition with many visitors. A good number of paintings and greetings cards were sold and there were many complimentary remarks in the Visitors book. The favourite painting in show (as voted for by the public) was a pastel drawing of a lioness by Cheryl Douglas. The weather was good and we were very pleased that so many people were able to come. We hope to see them all again next year.
The Annual outing to Rye was also a success. We were spoiled for choice with many lovely scenes to paint, including boats and local architecture etc. The rain started as we boarded the coach to return home. We all enjoyed the day out.
We also entered a Scarecrow for the Festival Weekend and held a stall on the Green selling paintings and greetings cards. Roy Shergold was busy drawing portraits of the public and one (well behaved!) dog. It was a great day!
For further information, telephone Gwen Smith (Secretary) 01959 563110.
Hospice in the Weald - "A very Italian Evening!"
La Dolce Notte. When Little Italy came to Westerham in November about £2750.00 was raised for the Hospice in the Weald.
A fantastic Italian evening was held at the Westerham Hall when a lively throng gathered one Friday evening for a splendid event. Sporting amazing masks of all kinds, the gathering sat down to a meal of minestrone and an antipasto and the bar reported brisk business. Graham Jones supplied the after dinner music and there was dancing. There was also an intriguing competition for guessing the pasta varieties which was won by the Westerham Arts Group table. The raffle was unusual as spectacular flowers replaced the usual mundane ticket and there was one big money prize. Sharon Lord once again generously gave a superb Christmas cake to be raffled which was much appreciated and also helped to swell the coffers!
After a very amusing parade of masks, Graham and Pauline Jones chose Marianne Creedy as the spectacular ladies winner and John Gibson was the men’s winner. There were so many helpers that it would be impossible to name everyone – you know who you are – the Hospice in the Weald Westerham Link committee would like to thank everyone of you for helping to raise this wonderful amount.Wanted – Voluntary Project Coordinator
Westerham Town Partnership is looking for some help from someone special in the town. We intend to develop facilities on King Georges Field and our project is ready to go.
This project has the support and backing of the Parish Council and other organisations in the town, and an amber light from Sevenoaks District Council for a planning application. We are now ready to draw up detailed plans for building redevelopment and to begin our applications for charitable funding and private sponsorship.
We've now identified some possible sources of funding including Sports England who have funds available for ‘Protecting Playing Fields’ and ‘Places People Play’ & ‘Village SOS’ , a joint venture between the Lottery fund and the BBC.? Applications need to be made soon, so if you can mobilize others - specialists & supporters - and coordinate our efforts to? draw up terms of reference for this project,prepare a business plan, support the planning and design process and complete funding bid applications, then please get in touch by email at the following address: info@visitwesterham.org.uk.
We'll be inviting interested volunteers to an exploratory meeting on the 19th September.
Background
The 2009 Westerham Town Health check identified a need and a shared aspiration to extend and develop our use of the glorious green space on King Georges Fields. Using opportunities in the form of two existing buildings – the Pavilion and a Groundsman’s Hut - our intention is to create modern new facilities from which many more people can be active on the fields through sports and other leisure activities. We have plans to establish a social enterprise business providing local employment in the form of a community café, a hub for community activities and much much more on the site. To find out more about the health check and the Town Partnership, click here.
Wanted: Flickr and YouTube Curator
The Westerham Town Partnership is looking for volunteer help curating the Visit Westerham Flickr stream and YouTube channel. If you'd like to join an enthusiastic team of volunteers working to promote and support Westerham, please apply to info@westerham.org.uk
Consultation on Landfill site at Covers Farm, Squerryes Estate
During June and July 2011, Kent County Council made public the applications that had been received for inclusion in their Waste Sites Development Plan Document (DPD) which will form part of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework (MWDF).
One application was from Monier who lease the sandpits at Covers Farm from the Squerryes Estate. Monier proposed that the site could accept up to 7 million tonnes of inert waste material over an indefinite period.
Information is available at the KCC website (Site 18 - Covers Farm). It states:
‘the site is an
existing quarry with planning permission, with intended alteration of
the proposed restoration scheme. There are constraints on and adjacent
the site, which warrant consideration to potential impacts of any
changes to landscape and visual amenity. Careful management of
restoration proposals should be able to overcome such concerns.’
There have been many well argued replies, most of which are ‘Objects’ and a few of which are merely ‘Comments.’ A petition against the proposals organised by the ‘Say No to Landfill’ committee has been submitted, and the Parish Council, Westerham Society, the Westerham Town Partnership and our MP, as well as individuals and businesses have all submitted arguments against allowing this proposal to go ahead.
The main ground for concern is the effect of heavily increased HGV traffic flow through the centre of Westerham. The knock on effect in terms of air quality, noise and dust pollution and traffic congestion is cited as being unacceptable. Others are concerned about seepage of poisons into the water table, the adverse effect on wildlife, and the despoiling of an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Metropolitan Greenbelt.
Town Meeting September 2011
Westerham Parish Council and the Say 'No' to Landfill Group held a meeting on 19th September for residents of Westerham to discuss the proposed landfill site. The attendance was overwhelming with an estimated 400-500 people filling the main hall at Churchill School. Alan Wesley and Peter Cashmore presented their latest analysis of the proposal to our elected representatives, Michael Fallon MP and Richard Parry KCC Councillor and to Henry Warde of the Squerryes Estate and explained the implications of the potential development and the enormous amount of extra traffic it would generate.
A motion was put to the meeting and a unanimous 'No' Vote was taken from everyone present.
Mr Fallon and Mr Parry promised to take away the overwhelming vote against the proposed site and ensure that KCC were fully informed about the strength of feeling of Westerham residents.
Further information will appear in the Gazette and on this website in the near future.
West Kent Neighbourhood Watch News
To find out more about the latest updates from the Neighbourhood Watch Newsplease click here..
You can also check out the latest news from Westerham and Crockham Hill, West Kent Watch in the West Kent Watch here..
